*P16*

Pre-Leaving Certificate Examination, 2017

Triailscrúdú na hArdteistiméireachta, 2017

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PHYSICS – HIGHER LEVEL

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TIME: 3 HOURS
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Answer three questions from Section A and five questions from Section B.

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Relevant data are listed in the Formulae and Tables booklet, which is available from the Superintendent.

Page 1 of 9
 SECTION A (120 marks)

Answer three questions from this section.

Each question carries 40 marks.
_____________________________

1. In an experiment to measure the acceleration due to gravity, the time t for an object to fall
from rest through a distance s was measured. The procedure was repeated for a series of
values of the distance s. The table shows the recorded data.

s(cm) 30 50 70 90 110 130 150

t(ms) 247 310 377 435 473 514 540

Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used in the experiment.

Indicate the distance s on your diagram.

Describe how the time interval t was measured. (15)

Calculate a value for the acceleration due to gravity by drawing a suitable graph based on the
data above. (21)

Give two ways of minimising the effect of air resistance in the experiment. (4)

2. In an experiment to measure the focal length of a converging lens, a student measured the
image distance v for each of four different values of the object distance u.
The table shows the data recorded by the student.

u (cm) 6.0 9.0 11.8 15

v (cm) 32.3 11.1 9.0 7.7

Describe, with the aid of a labelled diagram, how the student obtained the data. (10)

Give two precautions that should be taken when measuring the image distance. (5)

Using all the data in the table, find the value for the focal length of the lens. (15)

Why is it difficult to measure the image distance when the object distance is less than 10 cm?
(6)
What is another name for a converging lens? (4)

Page 2 of 9
3. In an experiment to verify Snell’s law, a student measured the angle of incidence i and the
corresponding angle of refraction r for light entering a material. This was repeated for a
number of different angles of incidence.

The student then plotted the graph below based on the collected data.
1

0,9

0,8
0,7

0,6
Y

0,5

0,4

0,3
0,2
0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8
X
Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used.

On your diagram, indicate an angle i and its corresponding angle r. (10)

What labels should be used, instead of X and Y?

What is the smallest angle of incidence that the student set in this experiment? (10)

Complete the graph above and use the completed graph to determine the refractive index of
the material.

How does the graph verify Snell’s law? (10)

What material was probably used in this experiment?

The student did not record any values of the angle i below 30°. Give two reasons why? (10)

4. In an experiment to investigate how current I varied with voltage V across a copper sulfate
solution with copper electrodes, a student collected the following data.

V (V) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

I (mA) 0 26 52 79 105 131 157 183 210

Draw a suitable circuit diagram for this investigation and label the components. (8)

How was the potential difference changed during the experiment? (8)

Draw a suitable graph to show the relationship between the current and the potential
difference. (8)

Use your graph to calculate the resistance of the solution. (8)

What was observed at the electrodes as current flowed through the solution? (8)

Page 3 of 9
 SECTION B (280 marks)

Answer five questions from this section.

Each question carries 56 marks.
_____________________________

5. Answer any eight of the following parts, (a), (b), (c), etc.

(a) A particle travels at a constant speed of 10 m s–1 in a circle of radius 2 m.

What is its angular velocity?

(b) An alternating voltage has a peak value of 75 V. What is the r.m.s. value?

(c) State the law of flotation.

(d) Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using a convex mirror, instead of a plane
mirror, as a wing mirror on a car.

(e) How much energy is stored in a 100 μF capacitor when it is charged to a potential
difference of 12 V?

(f) What is point discharge?

(g) What is meant by nuclear fission?

(h) What is meant by the threshold of hearing?

(i) What happens when high speed electrons collide with a metal target?

(j) Name the sub-atomic particles that are affected by the strong force.

or

An OR gate has two inputs, A and B. In what circumstances will the output of the gate
be ‘high’?
(8 × 7)

Page 4 of 9
6. Define (i) displacement, (ii) acceleration. (6)

A body is travelling with a velocity u in a certain direction. It

then accelerates uniformly in the same direction for a time t.

Show that s = ut + ½ at2 where s is the displacement of the

body and a is the acceleration. (12)

A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 20 m s–1

in a time of 6 s. It then moves at a constant speed until it has
reached a total distance of 260 m. Calculate:
(i) the total time taken to travel the distance of 260 m.
(ii) the average speed of the car over the whole
journey. (16)

A parachutist is falling with a vertical velocity of 15 m s–1 when he is blown by the wind
which has a horizontal velocity of 8 m s–1. Calculate his resultant velocity. (12)

At a certain time before landing the parachutist is directly over a point X painted on the
ground. The parachutist lands 10 s later. What distance from the X has he landed? (10)

7. Explain the term resonance and describe a laboratory experiment to demonstrate it. (15)

A set of pan pipes, is made from different lengths of tubing that

are open at both ends. When the musician blows, the pipes emit
sounds.
The sound from one of the tubes was analysed and the following
frequencies were identified in the sound: 550 Hz, 1100 Hz and
1651 Hz.

What name is given to this set of frequencies? (5)

Draw labelled diagrams to show how the tube produces each of these frequencies.
The length of the analysed tube is 30 cm. Use any of the above frequencies to calculate a
value for the speed of sound in air. (20)

Another musician uses a sample of wire, of length 12 m and mass 48 g, as a guitar string.
A 64 cm length of the wire was fixed at both ends and plucked. The fundamental frequency of
the sound produced was found to be 173 Hz. Calculate the tension in the wire. (12)

Explain why a musical tune does not sound the same when played on different instruments.
(4)

Page 5 of 9
8. What is an electric current? (4)

Heating is one effect of an electric current. Give two other effects of an electric current. (12)

The diagram shows a basic electrical circuit of an everyday A

household device. When an electric current flows through the coil
of wire, the air around it heats up and the motorised fan blows. B
fuse
(a) Describe what happens:
(i) when switch A is closed and the rheostat is adjusted.
(ii) when switch A and switch B are closed. (9) 230 V coil
fan
(b) The maximum power generated in the heating coil is 1 kW.
(i) What is the initial resistance of the coil?
(ii) Calculate the current that flows through the coil when the circuit is turned on. (9)

(c) A length of nichrome wire of diameter 0.20 mm is used for the coil. Calculate the length
of the coil of wire. (18)

(d) What everyday household device could this be? (4)

(resistivity of nichrome = 1.1 × 10–6 Ω m )

9. State Coulomb’s law. (6)

A solid conductor in the shape of a sphere carries a positive charge.

Draw the sphere and indicate how the charge is distributed over the surface of the sphere. (6)

Define the term electric field intensity, E, and give its unit. (7)

Two identical spherical conductors on insulated stands are placed a certain distance apart.
One conductor is given a charge Q, while the other conductor is given a charge 3Q and they
experience a force of repulsion F. The two conductors are then touched off each other and
returned to their original positions. What is the new force, in terms of F, between the spherical
conductors? (16)

Calculate the force of repulsion between the two small spheres in the figure below when they
are held 8 cm apart in a vacuum. Each sphere has a positive charge of +3 μC. (9)

+3 μC +3 μC
8 cm

Copy the diagram above and show on it the electric field generated by the charges.
Mark on your diagram a place where the electric field strength is zero. (12)

Page 6 of 9
10. Answer either part (a) or part (b).

(a) List three quantities that are conserved in nuclear reactions. (6)

Write an equation for a nucleus undergoing beta-decay.

In initial observations of beta-decay, not all three quantities appear to be conserved.
What was the solution to this contradiction? (12)

List the fundamental forces of nature in increasing order of their strength.

Which fundamental force of nature is involved in beta-decay? (12)

In the Large Hadron Collider, two protons with the same energy and travelling in
opposite directions collide. Two protons and two charged pi mesons are produced in the
collision.
Why are new particles produced in the collision?

Write an equation to represent the collision. (12)

Show that the kinetic energy of each incident proton must be at least 140 MeV
for the collision to occur. (14)

(b) State one law of electromagnetic induction. (6)

Draw a labelled diagram of an induction coil and explain how it works. (20)

Define magnetic flux, φ. (6)

A flat circular coil of radius 1.6 cm and consisting of 80 turns of wire lies in a plane
which is perpendicular to a magnetic field of magnetic flux density 0.20 T. Calculate the
magnitude of the induced e.m.f. when the flux density is steadily reduced to zero in 0.50 s.
(12)
Explain the principle involved when a small metal cylinder is dropped through one end
of the copper tube, it falls freely under gravity. If the small cylinder is first magnetised,
it then takes much longer to fall through the tube. (12)

Page 7 of 9
11. Read the following passage and answer the accompanying questions.

TINY LASER MAKES ‘TWISTED LIGHT’

A tiny laser that emits “twisted light” has been unveiled

by scientists in the US and Italy. Measuring just 9
μm across, the semiconductor device can produce a
beam of light that carries an angular velocity. While
improvements are needed before the laser can be
commercialized, it could someday be used to boost the
capacity of existing telecommunication systems.
In a beam of light with an angular velocity, the
wavefront twists around the direction of propagation,
creating a vortex in the middle of the light beam.
Now, scientists at the State University of New York
and the Polytechnic University of Milan have created a
tiny laser that comprises a ring of semiconductor material with outer and inner diameters of
just 9 μm and 7 μm, respectively. The ring is about 1.5 μm tall and sits on a semiconductor
substrate. The top surface of the ring resembles a clock face with “tick” marks at regular
intervals.
This structure is known as a “microring” – and it is well known that laser light will circulate
within such a ring when the device is “pumped” using an external laser. In a normal
microring, however, the light will circulate in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions, and
so effectively cancel each other out.
This is where the clock-face pattern comes in. The materials used to create the pattern are
chosen to have specific indices of refraction such that light can only flow in one direction. The
laser produces light in the infrared range.
(Adapted from www.physicsworld.com)

(a) This tiny laser measures 9 μm across. What does the symbol μ represent in scientific
notation?

(b) The laser is described as a semiconductor device. What is a semiconductor?

(c) What are the charge carriers in semiconductors?

(d) Define angular velocity.

(e) In a normal microring, the light circulates in both clockwise and anticlockwise
directions, and cancels itself out. What term is given to this interaction?

(f) What two conditions are necessary for the light to completely cancel itself out?

(g) The light from this device is in the infrared range. Does light in the infrared range have
longer or shorter wavelength compared to visible light?

(h) Does light in the infrared range have higher or lower frequency compared to visible
light?
(8 × 7)

Page 8 of 9
12. Answer any two of the following parts, (a), (b), (c), (d).

(a) Conduction, convection and radiation are three methods of heat transfer.
Give an explanation of each. (12)

Explain the principle involved in each of the following:

(i) The u-value of a structure is reduced by adding insulation to it. (4)

(ii) On a hot day, the sea is usually colder than the land. (4)
(iii) The human body is cooled by perspiring. (4)
(iv) On a hot day, the water on the surface of a still lake or pond is usually warmer
than the water some distance below the surface. (4)

(b) What is the photoelectric effect? (6)

Write down an expression for Einstein’s photoelectric law. (9)

Summarise Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect (9)

Give one application of the photoelectric effect. (4)

(c) What is a semiconductor diode? (6)

Draw a diagram of a circuit that could be used to show the operation of a photodiode.
(6)
An alternating current of very low frequency (e.g. 1 Hz) is supplied to a light-emitting
diode. Draw a suitable circuit diagram for this arrangement. (6)

What is observed while the current is switched on? Explain your answer. (10)

(d) State Newton’s second law of motion. (6)

The equation F = – ks, where k is a constant, describes a law that governs the motion of
a body.
Name this law and give its definition. (8)
Give the name for this type of motion and describe the motion. (8)
A mass at the end of a spring is an example of a system that obeys this law.
Give two other examples of systems that obey this law. (6)

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